Baths of Diocletian 951133 204726775 2008-04-10T16:53:18Z Peterlewis 813120 /* External links */ {{unsourced|date=November 2007}} [[Image:Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.jpg|thumb|The basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, built in the ''tepidarium'' of the baths]] [[Image:San Bernardo alle Terme-facciata.jpg|thumb|The church of San Bernardo alle Terme recycled an old circular tower at the southwestern corner of the perimeter wall of the baths, one of four towers defining its grounds.]] The '''Baths of Diocletian''' (''Thermae Diocletiani'') in [[Ancient Rome|Rome]] were the grandest of the public baths, or ''[[thermae]]'' built by successive emperors. [[Diocletian]]'s Baths, dedicated in [[306]], were the largest and most sumptuous of the imperial baths and remained in use until the aqueducts that fed them were cut by the [[Goths]] in [[537]]. Similar in size and plan to [[baths of Caracalla|those]] of [[Caracalla]] and oriented to the southwest so that [[solar energy]] heated the [[caldarium]] without affecting the [[frigidarium]], they are well preserved because various parts later were converted to ecclesiastical or other use, including: *Basilica of [[Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri]] (in the ''[[tepidarium]]''), whose three soaring transept vaults provide one of the few glimpses of the original splendor of Roman building *the church of [[San Bernardo alle Terme]] (in one of the two circular rooms) *in the main hall, part of the [[National Museum of Rome#Baths of Diocletian|Museo Nazionale Romano]] (National Roman Museum) *the 'octagonal aula', also now part of the National Roman Museum. Other remains of the baths are visible several streets away. ==See also== *[[Baths of Caracalla]] *[[Baths of Titus]] *[[Baths of Trajan]] == Compared to the Baths of Caracalla == The Baths of Diocletian accommodated 3,000 bathers, almost twice as many as the Baths of Caracalla, being approximately twice its size. ==External links== {{commons-inline|Thermae of Diocletian}} *[http://www.roman-empire.net/tours/rome/baths-diocletian.html Baths of Diocletian] *[http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/romanurbs/bathsdiocletian.html Baths of Diocletian] at Encyclopaedia Romana *[http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Roma/Rome/_Texts/PLATOP*/Thermae_Diocletiani.html Thermae Diocletiani], article in Platner's Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome *[http://maps.google.com/maps?q=rome&ll=41.903267,12.497431&spn=0.004802,0.012730&t=k&hl=en Satellite image] of the baths. [[Category:4th century architecture]] [[Category:Ancient Roman baths in Rome|Diocletian]] [[Category:Ancient Roman baths]] [[Category:Ancient Roman architecture]] [[de:Diokletiansthermen]] [[es:Termas de Diocleciano]] [[fr:Thermes de Dioclétien]] [[it:Terme di Diocleziano]] [[he:מרחצאות דיוקלטיאנוס]] [[hu:Diocletianus termái]] [[nl:Thermen van Diocletianus]] [[pl:Termy Dioklecjana]] [[pt:Termas de Diocleciano]] [[sv:Diocletianus termer]]